October
As the plump squirrel scampers
Across the roof of the corn crib,
The moon suddenly stands up in the darkness,
And I see that it is impossible to die.
Each moment of time is a mountain.
An eagle rejoices in the oak trees of heaven,
Crying
This is what I wanted.

- James Wright

October! For this nature lover in the Upper Midwest, October is the best month of the year. More than a month with 31 days in it, and more than a collection of favorite fall activities and moody sensory impressions, I always feel that this time of year is a sacred doorway to the energies of transformation in Nature and deep inside myself. The sure and poignant bite of coming death is in the pretty frost in the morning, and the red and yellow maples joyfully cry out the merits of another season of life on Earth. The glory of the trees brings me to an open-mouthed standstill at least a few times every day. I watch them fling leafy confetti into the grey winds and on to the saturated dark ground, and I think I hear them cry to me, Let go! Let go! Let go of the previous season of your life. Let go of what no longer serves you. Let go of disappointments and old plans that could not come to harvest yet. Let go of false burdens and petty preoccupations. Dive deep into your soul’s roots, and stand resolute through the winter, trusting in resurrection.

For me, October is also a time to reflect on the possibilities of humanity’s greatness. Three of my favorite role models have their birthdays now. Edith Stauffer, my beloved mentor of Unconditional Love and Forgiveness work, has a birthday this week, October 24. She had 95 of those birthdays before she left the world in better shape than when she came. She was the most graciously resolute person I ever met. Earlier this month was the birthday of Mahatma (great soul) Gandhi on October 7 - a person whose one-pointed resolution helped a whole nation throw off its colonial shackles and transform its identity in the world. It is the time of the death anniversary of Baba Muktananda, a great meditation master and a powerful personal teacher for me on the inner planes. In life he was a fine example of what a completely liberated human being looks like. (He was like a whirling fire of creativity and love wrapped around a core of deep silence....He was a master of discipline and he was also Spontaneity itself...)

I think it’s good to look to the great people of our times as personal role models, because they show us the face of a wonderful future possibility: a time when humanity as a whole lives as a spiritually awakened species at last. The people I just mentioned fully lived their faith in the forces of transformation and in everyone’s potential greatness. A life lived to the nth degree of its positive capacity is a great life, so listen and respond as your own soul calls out to you to master your lessons and duties and gifts - become a light to yourself and others. Part of the capacity to live full out comes to us with the ability to let go - to live with the informing principles and habits of unconditional love and forgiveness. Learn these ways of unconditional love and forgiveness, because it is a large part of the path of greatness, and you will feel the gentle spiritual forces of transformation at work inside your own personality. Let the flame of your soul burn strong and steady as you let go of your perceived sense of inadequacy. Let go of your burdens of guilt and shame, let go of your fear of failure or what others will think. Like the red maple tree, stand resolutely, share your strength and beauty with everyone, and let go, let go!

Many blessings to you, and I look forward to seeing you again.